I love pudding. Chocolate pudding, vanilla pudding, tapioca pudding, rice pudding, butterscotch pudding… you name it, I love it. I love pudding made from scratch. I love pudding that comes from a little cardboard box. And when I was a kid, I loved the pudding on my school lunch tray. So it should come as no surprise that I love this rich and creamy homemade butternut squash pudding – it’s pudding! Plus, it’s amazing.

Some of the best recipes I’ve created have come not from my own imagination, but from suggestions by friends. Remember the Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Spread? Alexis suggested it. Lemon Vanilla Tapioca Pudding? I wouldn’t have thought about it if Ruby hadn’t given me those tapioca pearls. Add this Butternut Squash Pudding to the list because it was totally not my idea. A friend of mine suggested it almost as a joke, but as we talked about it, we quickly realized that it would be delicious. And as soon as the name “butternutscotch pudding” was mentioned, I knew I had no choice but to create it.

The color and flavor of this rich, velvety pudding will remind you of butterscotch, but this is most definitely a butternut squash pudding. If you love to eat winter squash with butter and brown sugar, you will love this pudding. If you love pumpkin or sweet potato pie, you will love this pudding. If you love butterscotch or vanilla pudding, you will love this pudding. It’s absolutely delicious, it’s a fun and unique fall dessert, and it’s easy to make. Do it.

1. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar and corn starch. In the container of a blender, combine the squash purée, half and half, brown sugar mixture, pinch of salt, and egg yolks. Blend until very smooth then strain through a fine mesh sieve into a medium-sized saucepan (rinse sieve because you will need it again later).

2. Cook the squash mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Turn heat to low, and continue cooking and stirring (now with a wooden spoon or spatula) for another minute or two – pudding should be thick but still pourable. Immediately strain pudding through the sieve into a bowl, pushing it through with a spatula or wooden spoon. Stir vanilla extract and butter pieces into the hot pudding until completely incorporated.

3. Let pudding cool to warm then either divide into individual containers or leave in bowl. Cover and refrigerate until cold. If you’re concerned about a skin from forming on top of the pudding, press plastic wrap to the surface before refrigerating. Serve plain or with lightly sweetened whipped cream and chopped pecans.

Yield: 3 cups of pudding (four 3/4-cup or six 1/2-cup servings).

Recipe Notes: *To roast a butternut squash: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. With a big sharp knife, cut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and place squash halves, cut side up, in a baking dish. Cover with foil and roast for 40-50 minutes in a 400 degree oven until the squash is very tender (can be pierced easily with a fork). When squash is cool enough to handle, scoop flesh from skin. Mash it lightly and place in a strainer for a minute to let any excess liquid drain off. Measure out 1 cup of squash for pudding recipe and reserve the rest for another use.

The pudding looks so scrumptious. I have a butternut squash I was planning to make baby food, but I’m tempted to find a different use for it now!

About the roasting of the butternut, in the past, I’ve always sliced the squash in half, removed the seeds, then placed the cut side down before putting it in the oven. I’ve not seen anyone else cover the squash with foil. Does that keep the moisture better? Prevent dried/charred edges?

What a great idea! I recently made a butternut squash and apple pie to prove that butternut can belong in dessert (check out my blog!). Your pudding looks delicious and definitely supports my point! Yum

someone who loves pudding as much as I do!
the jello boxes are my staple creamy, sweet dessert cause they’re easy to store on the boat and I can make them with powdered milk. I know. that sounds sad. this pudding sounds 10 times better!
I’m about to go to the store for a restock, in a car no less, so these ingredients are going on my list!

Interesting – the flavors look like they would be a marriage made in heaven. It just screams autumn. Would be a nice thing to have on a Thanksgiving buffet for those folks who want something different from Pumpkin Pie but not bizarro. I wonder if it could be tweaked a bit and made into more of a custard or creme brulee?

I remember every once in awhile my Mom used to make homemade chocolate fudge pudding. To us kids it was like sin on a spoon. Especially when it was still warm. The homemade version used to be so much richer than the stuff from a box. But hey – in a pinch – it’ll do!!

5:34 pm Nov 5th, 2010

Tyler

This looks great, but for simplicity’s sake, do you think it would also be good if I were to use pumpkin puree instead and made it pumpkin pudding? I don’t know if the pumpkin would to thin or different in texture from the roasted squash. Either way, looks scrumptious!

So I went to the store and accidentally bought $15 worth of Butternut Squash! I thought I would grab 3 to have on hand to try new recipes (not paying attention to weight or price). SO, I am so happy that you posted this and I’m now anxious to try it… Sounds like such a neat way to use this squash! Have a super weekend…

[…] I am going to make this, like this weekend. Butternut squash pudding. […]

7:05 am Nov 11th, 2011

Jo-Anne

I just finished making this. The scrapings in the pan tasted wonderful. I didn’t put it through the sieve since my squash was well pureed. I also substituted half 1% milk for the half and half (not so guilty). (1 cup 1%; 1 cup half & half) I’m serving it on Thursday as dessert for a luncheon I’m hosting. I think the ladies will like it.

[…] Rules as part of the October Unprocessed Challenge. I revamped one of my favorite Fall desserts, Butternut Squash Pudding, to make it suitable for the challenge. Head over to Eating Rules to see how it turned […]